LATE MESSAGES

Greymouth Evening Star, 19 January 1939, Page 2

LATE MESSAGES

NON-INTERVENTION

LONDON, January 18

The National Executive oi the Labour Party carried a resolution protesting against the Italian-German violation of the Non-Intervention policy, and urging the opening of the Spanish and French frontier, ami removal of the embargo on the sale of arms to the Republicans.

Mounted police used batons to disperse a. crowd attempting to break the cordin. and enter Downing Street. After Um demonstration, two were permitted to present a petition to No. 10, urging arms for Spain. The Spanish Government has sent a. Note to the Foreign Office, expressing amazement, and a protest, against the silence of the Non-Intervention Commitee regarding Italy’s sale of four destroyers and two submarines to the rebels. It requested that the Note be handed on to the Committee. The charges are based on the 1938 issue of Jane's lighting ships. It declared it is difficult to believe that. Britain was unaware of the sales in view of the excellence of the naval intelligence.

JAPAN AND PEACE

LONDON. January IS

Mr. Shigeniitsu, speaking for the hi ts time since liis appointment to the Japanese Ambassadorship, said the time had come for Britain and Japan to see eye to eye. shaping the policy for the peace of the world. Peace would be precarious without AngloJapanese friendship, which, the extremists in both countries wished to destroy. Japan was sincerely pursuing a policy designed to inaugurate lasting peace and goodwill in Asia by establishing law and order, desiring above all friendship with China.

GERMAN PASTORS

BERLIN, January is

Pastor Mueller, leader of the. Opposition Church, and two oilier pastors, are being tried on charges of misusing pulpits by praying for peace on September 30. Mueller’s stipend lias been stopped.

SPANISH AVAR

LERI.DA, January IS

'i he Franeoites, en route to Igulada. captured Pons. The advance continutes. despite fog and had weather. Troops have also reached Barcelona Province at several points south oi Igualada, The “Telegraph’s'’ Barcelona correspondent says that President Negrin presided over a Cabinet meeting, whereat, Senor Companys, President of Catalonia, was also present.

The city was cheered by the news of heroic deeds at the front. A soldier, whose name is unknown, defended a hill alone, with a machine-gun, against the. repeated attacks of two companies and heavy artillery lire, for seven hours, when a trench-mortar shell killed him. Two soldiers, capturing an enemy tank, occupied it. and, operating the guns, drove off other tanks and captured it. Azian admits coming to Spain on December 23, proving that new troops wore sent after the withdrawal of 1(1,000 volunteers.

A NT I -COMINTERN PACT

LONDON, January 18

Berlin emphasises Germany and Hungary’s common foreign policy, in a. communique issued after M. Csaky’s visit. It draws attention to the growing strength of the Anti-Comintern Fact, and the possibility of its extension shortly to include Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia. Both are regarded by Berlin as members of the Bloc, lacking only formal adherence. The “Telegraph’s” Warsaw correspondent says the impression that Polish opinion is being prepared for a. deeper interpretation of the PoloGerman Pact finds a measure of confirmation in the official announcement of von Ribbentrop’s visit on January 24, coinciding with the anniversarj- of the pact. He points out that Polish relations with Germany are growingmore and more favourable. There is no likelihood of Poland adhering to the Anti-Comintern Pact, but it must be assumed that she has decided morally and diplomatically to support the German and Italian colonial claims against. France and Britain.